friday takeout

Evelyn Buday | Psychology Instructor

Peosta Campus

What is the favorite part of your job or workday at the College?

Aside from being in the classroom, my suite mates are amazing! I love being surrounded by teachers, and my suite mates are the best in terms of sharing ideas and topics that they're covering in their classes. I don't think there has been a day so far when someone hasn't taught me something new. Also, I don't know why I keep wasting time bringing my lunch to work because someone invariably brings in a complete feast. Everyone feels like family to me already, and I am incredibly fortunate to be here.

What is the most memorable moment you recall from your college or high school experience?

In college at the University of Puget Sound, I was a psychology major and my advisor, James Friedrich, and I designed this experiment to measure how long intrinsic motivation is suppressed after people are no longer rewarded for doing an activity that they love. The activity we used was the reading of Far Side cartoons, and the procedure required us to actually engineer a cartoon dispenser and find a unique signal to alert each of our subjects to select a new cartoon. The best signal we could find on-hand was a stuffed duck that would quack when squeezed. The first day of data collection, the two of us were stuck in a little observation room squeezing this poor stuffed duck for hours and hours on end. I remember thinking how completely ridiculous this whole scenario was, and then Jim remarked, "We literally look like we could be in a Far Side cartoon ourselves." I don't think I've ever laughed so much doing data collection. It was a great experience.

What is something you love to do that doesn't fit with how others see you?

My Ph.D. is in cognitive developmental psychology, and among my cognitive science tribe I'm known for my critical thinking research and community disaster assessment work. Several years ago I was encouraged by one of my military history friends to do a game theory analysis related to military history. I assumed that someone had surely already done it because game theory has been applied to practically everything (even Jane Austen), but to my surprise nothing really had been done with military history (except with the Cuban Missile Crisis). I started with a paper examining the game theory elements associated with Abraham Lincoln versus Jefferson Davis during the first Battle of Bull Run in 1861. While it took awhile to have anyone in military history willing to give me a chance, after my first conference presentation in 2012, all of my conference presentations have been in military history. My science friends think I've done virtually nothing since 2012, but all the while I've have this entirely secret life with a bunch of military historians.

What television series is perfect for binge watching over a rainy weekend?

I am normally more of a "binge reader" than a "binge watcher," but a few years ago I was sick with a bad cold, and I started watching the Amazon series, Just Add Magic. I could not stop, and I was actually irritated that I started feeling better before I was done watching. The plot is clever, the writing is excellent and the principle actors (three middle school girls) are amazing. The reviews on Amazon are great fun to read because they are written mostly by adults who started watching with their kids and then couldn't stop. Currently there are three seasons out, with another currently in production. I obsessively stalk Amazon and IMDB looking for information on the next season. It is one of my favorite series of all time.

What is your greatest achievement and how has it shaped you?

Up until four years ago, I would have answered getting my Ph.D. for this question; however, now I would say that surviving being denied tenure is my greatest achievement. I think one of the worst parts of a career in academia is that when you're in a tenure track position, you put a lot of your life on hold before you fully commit to being part of a community, both physically (e.g. buying a house versus renting) and emotionally (e.g. as a single person I would only casually date until I was assured I was going to be a permanent resident). When I was denied tenure, my whole life was derailed because my career had always directed the course of my life. Going back on the job market when you're no longer the young and fresh scholar out of grad school was terrifying (especially in cognitive science). After striking out using the same approach I used when I was young, I decided to re-brand myself and use my "experience" as an asset. I also decided that I would apply for jobs that were way out of my comfort zone. I landed a great opportunity first at Purdue in forensic science, and then at Ivy Tech Community College. I fell in love with the commitment to teaching that permeated Ivy Tech, and with my second round of job searches I included several community colleges. I am happier here at Northeast Iowa Community College about the future of my career than I have ever been at any of the other colleges where I have taught. Had I not decided to re-brand myself and take a risk, I never would have found this place. Even when I was in the middle of my interview, I remember thinking, "I want these people to be at my retirement party." I have never been more sure of a decision in my entire life than coming to NICC.